Fiber optic cables are used to transmit data in indoor and outdoor environments. It is common for outdoor cables to include an armor for protection from rodent attack, crush, and/or for providing a generally robust cable design. The armors can be metallic, plastic, e.g. layers, and are typically covered by a cable jacket covering that is extruded over the armor.
In order to access the optical fibers within armored cables, the jacket is first stripped from the armor, and then an access point is formed in the armor, generally by breaching the armor. Conventional metallic armors typically include a coating of polyethylene or some other coating material. During manufacture of a cable, an intermediate liquid layer such as glue is applied to the armor coating before extruding the jacket over the armor. The glue is applied to form a release layer that prevents a strong thermoplastic bond from forming between the armor coating and the jacket, which could render the jacket difficult or impossible to separate from the armor.
While the intermediate glue layer allows the jacket to be separated from the armor, the bond between jacket and armor may still be relatively strong, rendering separation difficult. Glue is also relatively messy, expensive, and difficult to employ in a manufacturing environment. For example, glue must be heated to at least its melt temperature before application to the armor surface, and must be routed through sealed conduit that is heated in a controlled fashion so that the glue does not solidify during transport. Excess glue that does not adhere to the armor surface must also be regularly cleaned from the manufacturing line.